B-02.3 Get & Use 54 Basic Initial Consonant Picture & Words Cards

13 Sets of Four-of-a-Kind Cards: Pictures & Words Starting with b, c, d, f, g, h, l, m, p, r, s, t, w 

Pages:12

Who They’re For: Novice English Learners & New Readers Developing Phonemic Awareness of Initial Consonant Sounds & Spellings.      

Why You Need: Them: Nearly everyone enjoys “playing cards”—even if materials have educational content to improve learners’ language skills without their being aware of it. These 52 cards provide an engaging break from routine. They build vocabulary in 4 meaning categories: People or Animals, Places, Things, Actions. 

What You’ll Do: 

[1] From the 54 Basic Initial Consonants Cards file, print out all 12 pages back-to-back, flipped horizontally. Cut apart the 54 two-sided cards so that they’re all the same size and shape. Note that they can be divided into 13 separate sets of 4 items each that begin with the same consonant letter. The 13 items in each “suit of cards” can be arranged alphabetically. There are 2 informational cards.

[2] Use them as “Flash Cards” to preview their “learning points” (pronunciation and spelling of their initial consonants). Include pedagogy: which letters represent which sounds? How are the sounds produced in speech? Draw attention to the info on card backs—and additional notes on the faces of the last two cards.

[3] Try some of the cooperative or competitive learning activities suggested in the Initial Consonants: Basic & Beginning Activity & Idea Book. Devise more engaging or effective procedures.  

[4] In other lessons targeting initial consonants, use the cards as “triggers” or reminders of “key words.”